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How to Craft a Compelling Brand Promise

While the mission and vision of an organization are primarily internal driven, the brand promise is external. It is a strategic tool to hold the organization accountable for delivering a consistent brand experience to its client. In this article, you will learn the difference between a brand promise and mission statement, as well as how to craft a compelling brand promise.

You know that feeling where it feels as though you thought you were getting one thing, and it turned out to be something else? Alternatively, when speaking with a representative about a free consultation, only to have the discussion turn into a 20-minute sales pitch and fall flat on the objectives initially set for the meeting in the first place?

The bait and switch.

The promise of something desirable and the delivery of something unexpectedly unhelpful and distasteful. I have across this bait and switch technique on a few webinars from prominent people and businesses. It not only made me think twice about the individual, but about their company, brand, and integrity.

These are examples of promises that people make, and through poor customer experiences, deliver something entirely else. It is terrible that we have to deal with individuals who do this. When dealing with brands, it is an even more unpleasant experience. Most likely, though, you are dealing with people doing this, who work for brands. Let’s get to the cause.

The Brand Promise is Intentional and Strategic

The brand you a shaping through strategy becomes the essence that attracts the audience you seek. A brand promise is a tool that communicates to the consumer that the organization will strive to meet x, y, and z in everything they do. When brand’s deliver on this promise consistently, it creates brand value. Brand value is the trust that the consumer has for the organization, what it stands for and what it delivers to its customers.

The brand promise also shapes the brand experience that you consistently provide to your clients. The promise outlines the objectives that the experience will achieve to comply with the promise made. When the brand (and the people representing the brand) go against the brand promise, it not only hurts the potential customer but devalues the brand.

Strong Brand Promise Examples to Model

How to Craft a Compelling Brand Promise

Two ways to check whether your brand promise will be effective are to ask yourself and your team these two questions:

“Is the brand promise measurable?”
Brand promises can mean many different things to many people. To your specific audience, it means the world. The brand promise must be able to be defined, broken down, and measurable. BMW’s brand promise is “the ultimate driving machine”. Each and every interaction, touch point, and engagement with BMW’s audience is promising their BMW will be the most efficient and elegant vehicle.

For keywords or phrases of words (1-3) have objectives that can be measured. BMW surely has a definition of what “Ultimate Driving Machine” means to them and has a way to measure how their vehicles stack up against the criteria. FedEx literally used time in their promise statement, stating that you would receive your package by 10:30am the next day. As soon as 10:31am rolled around, FedEx did not meet their promise to their customer.

“Is the brand promise meaningful?”
In a retail or restaurant environment, the brand promise is more tangible and, therefore, easier to keep for employees. In the professional services industry, where intangibles are sold, and individuals build relationships with clients, the line blurs as to what is the brand promise and is the promise by the individual who happens to work at the company. This blurriness is not because of the type of industry, but rather due to a lack of education around the brand promise that the service firm provides its’ clients.

The brand promise needs to be meaningful; first to clients and second to employees. The employees are responsible for upholding the brand promise and delivering a consistent brand experience. Training programs are a great vehicle to get all team members on the same page about the brand, its message, its promise to customers, and how it goes about delivering that in a consistent way. When you detail the ‘why’ behind the brand, employees are better able to consistently provide the exceptional brand experience that sets your organization apart and your customers expect. Sharing with employees how their performance impacts the commitment made to the customer can empower them to provide a better experience, as they want their performance to be a positive reflection of the brand itself.

Developing or Refreshing your Brand Promise?

We work with entrepreneurs and business owners to develop cohesive brand experiences. Part of that work involves crafting a compelling brand promise to the customer that the organization is wanting to serve. We offer in-house strategy sessions to craft the perfect brand promise that aligns with your brand experience. Contact us to learn more and get started.

Over to You

What elements do you have in your brand promise? Leave a comment below and share your company name and brand promise.